Training & Education

“Judy Weiser is a real pioneer in this field, and one of the best teachers and therapists in the entire world! I myself, being an experienced Psychotherapist and Psychiatrist, was very much helped by reading her book and by participating in her workshops.”

Educational and Training Opportunities

Anyone is able to use PhotoTherapy techniques and exercises for themselves to gain personal insight and experience (this is “Therapeutic Photography“).
However, when therapists, counselors, and similar kinds of mental health professionals use these techniques to instead help others with personal/emotional problems needing the help of a skilled trained therapist to help them resolve their difficulties (“PhotoTherapy“), additional knowledge is required in order to know how, when, and most importantly why to activate them safely, ethically, and with conscious therapeutic intention toward mutually agreed-upon treatment goals.

And Judy Weiser provides both introductory educational workshops and longer intensive training events in both kinds of these techniques. [Prior experience with cameras or photographic art is not required for using any of these techniques].

In addition to Judy Weiser accepting invitations to teach in various locations several times each year, the PhotoTherapy Centre also organizes several educational lectures, conference presentations, workshops, and two 6-day Training Intensives each year.

• Online courses will also soon be available for basic and advanced studies.
• Invitations are also welcome for arranging private consulting, training and events with individuals, groups, agencies, and organizations.
• Private contracts can also be arranged for student mentoring and professional supervision.

Online Courses | Coming Soon

The PhotoTherapy Centre will soon be offering various levels of online courses for mental health professionals and the general public about PhotoTherapy, Therapeutic Photography, and related techniques.

Can be combined with a brief 1-hour experiential workshop after the lecture that demonstrates how they work.

Attend Judy Weiser’s Lectures and Presentations to learn how people’s personal snapshots, family photos, and pictures taken by others (as well as the feelings, thoughts, and memories these evoke) can serve as powerful, yet safe catalysts for emotional communication during therapy sessions — or as therapeutic activities to promote well-being, reduce social exclusion, and provide personal insights that can lead to positive changes in individuals, families, and communities.

Educational Lectures provide information about the why, what, and how of these techniques, their purposes and a brief summary of underlying theory and their reasons for success — and if time permits, also numerous slide- or video-illustrations about what they are like “in action.”

Educational Workshopsabout PhotoTherapy Techniques (1-3 Days)

“Judy Weiser is developing an interesting and useful way of using photography for stimulation of personal growth. I think it holds great promise for therapeutic purposes.”

— Virginia Satir, D.S.S., June 26, 1984

After a brief Presentation that explains the techniques of PhotoTherapy and how they are used, Educational Workshops provide experiential opportunities for encountering some of these personally through guided role play demonstrations, direct encounters with photographs, and follow-up discussions about participants’ experiences.

These workshops are for everyone — not only those who work in mental health professions, but also photographers, educators, Social-Action photo-activists, participatory-photography researchers, students, and anyone else interested. Educational Workshops are for the purpose of education (not training) — and are not intended to be used as personal therapy experiences for those attending.

“Thank you for the amazing training opportunity! … I am forever grateful for what you taught us… Your spirit lives in my therapy sessions and in my photography. I always look for the meaning now and what my intention is before I take a picture. This training was such a rich experience.”

Training Intensives extend participants’ learning beyond the level of briefer educational workshops by providing additional days for participants to experience both the reflective and active forms of all the techniques, while always under the full-time direct guidance and supervision of Judy Weiser.

Each day of the Training is dedicated solely to one of the five basic PhotoTherapy Techniques. The sixth day provides time to discuss ethical considerations, related applications, and view films/videos of real-life applications.

Full Participants of these Training Intensives must be credentialed mental health professionals who have completed graduate education and supervised training in a mental health profession and have at least 2 years’ experience conducting individual therapy with their own clients. A few others (for example, advanced-level Graduate students) might be permitted to attend as observers (but not as trainees).

It is often possible for Participants who successfully complete Training Intensives to qualify for Continuing Education Credits (“CEC’s”) but this cannot always be guaranteed, depending upon the location where it is taught.

The PhotoTherapy Centre schedules two 6-day Training Intensives each year: in June in Vancouver, Canada, and in November in Italy — and welcomes additional invitations to schedule these elsewhere.

Consulting

Professional & Educational

Consulting is available for therapists, students and other professionals who are looking to obtain advice, expertise and supervision related to PhotoTherapy, Therapeutic Photography, and related techniques.

Business & Commercial

Each person (and therefore each customer) will see a photograph differently, and therefore advertisements, branding, and marketing campaigns can often communicate messages or connect with thoughts, feelings, and emotions that were unintended. By learning more about the theories underlying PhotoTherapy and Therapeutic Photography techniques, advertisers, photographers and other business professionals will gain insight into how to communicate more effectively through photos, video, and other visuals.